Sunset Paris Hill Pass 2

 

This is today's pass with Gouache over the charcoal sketch below.  The Focus was mostly on the sky and distant mountains.  The house had a particular shade of blue which is work for another day.  Feels great to be painting again.

"Just Paint"

Charcoal Compositional Sketch
18" x 24"

I fell into my bed - exhausted. Drifting off.... "Just paint" 

It could have been the tinnitus, but the voice was persistent. "Just paint" 

I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled down cellar to my studio where I had previously taped four blank note cards to my easel. 

 For a host of reasons, I've been unable to paint for quite awhile - too long for my liking. But where to start? "Just paint" 

Many years ago on Paris Hill a particularly striking sunset looking west from the village green beyond Hannibal Hamblin's house to the mountains beyond was seared into my mind. It was breathtaking.... I soaked up every minute of that sunset. 

 "Just paint" 

 I did a few quick Pen and Ink compositional drawings and then broke out some gouache and did these four quick compositional studies.   From the top left to right - sketches 1,2, and 4 were closest to the actual scene as it was. Three was a combination of the scene with a cloudscape at sunset from a different time and location. 

The color was way off (off-full you might say) but for my purposes it didn't really matter. I just needed to push some paint around and work out a few ideas that though they would not be exact representations of the scene but that would capture the feelings it provoked in me. 

In looking at the sketches - a combination of numbers two and three let to this larger charcoal sketch (18" by 24") which will be the basis for a finished painting

These are all quite loose for sketches, but each one informs me a bit more and helps me catch errors in composition before being heavily involved with the final painting.  

I thank God I'm no longer held captive by the thought that each and every painting and drawing must be perfect and "finished."  It relieves so much unrealistic self imposed stress to not make any "mistakes."  I wish I'd figured that out well before my mid 40's 

Each and every effort informs the next one and so on.

Just Paint!

Pemaquid in Progress

 

Composition Sketch in progress- Pemaquid 

This compositional sketch is the result of the roughs below and two on location watercolor studies.  It is intentionally not detailed.  I enjoy the design process.  I never used to take the time to experiment with different compositions - I just wanted to dive into painting (Truth be told, I still struggle with that).  But I consistently started running into composition issues which were so labor intensive to correct.  

In this case, I'll also re-position the boat further back and alter the angle of its profile so it leads back into the cemetery.  These are small rapidly executed studies, including the watercolor on index card below.   There will be much more foliage, as was in reality, in the final paintings.  Shadows in the foreground were also part of this composition.  I will also try a winter scene with shadows as an important part of the composition. 

 

Watercolor Study on Index Card 4" x 6"

One of the effects along the coast and tidal rivers that I find particularly interesting are the vignettes of color of the ocean between trees.  I'm also working to study more of the dramatic skies that we have here in Maine.  The skies effects are so fleeting - yet beautiful and dramatic.  I also enjoy working in Monochrome - to focus initially on value and composition without having to give a thought toward color is freeing.  Working on the different color variations is an entirely different - yet no less exciting process. 

Stay tuned.